This is the writer's voice new fiction from the New Yorker. I'm Deborah

Treisman fiction at the New Yorker. On this episode of the writer's voice, we'll hear Curtis Sidenfeld read her story A for

Alone from the November 2nd 2020 issue of the magazine.

Sidenfeld has published one story collection, You Think It, I'll Say It, and six novels, including

Prep, Eligible, and Rotum, which came out earlier this year.

Now here's Curtis Sittenfeld.

A for Alone.

Irene's medium, the one in which she has exhibited at galleries is textiles, but for

interrogating Graham Pence, she decides to use Polaroid photos and off-white Tintareto paper.

Even though the questions will be the same for all the men, she hand writes them

in black ink because the contrast of her consistent

handwriting with the men's varied handwriting will create a dialogue in which she is

established as the interrogator.

Before her lunch with Eddie Walsh,

she writes,

Date, name, age, profession, when prior to lunch today did you last spend time alone with a woman

who is not your wife? Are you aware of the Modesto Manifesto, also known as the Billy Graham rule, also known as the Mike Pence rule?

If so, what is your opinion of this rule?

When I invited you to lunch, what was your reaction?

She and Eddie are meeting at a Thai restaurant downtown.

Unless it feels organically relevant, she plans to make no mention of the project

until after the arrival of the check which she will pay.

...